John Glenn: Keep U.S. space shuttle flying

By Marcia Dunn, associated PressCAPE CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, USA — Mercury astronaut John Glenn, now 88, wants to NASA space shuttle to keep flying until their replacement is ready.Glenn joined the debate Monday on the future of America national in area and became the latest ex-astronaut to speak on this matter. He released a statement by the nine parties, in which he questioned the decision to retire the shuttle fleet and to be able to rely on Russia to take astronauts to the international space station. "We have a vehicle, why throw away? This works well, "the first American to orbit the Earth, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press," said he. Glenn is against paying the Russians 55.8 million USD for a person to fly U.S. astronauts to the space station and back. This is the price of a ticket starting in 2013; Right now, is for the valuation of US $ 26.3 million NASA and will jump to $ 51 million next year.Glenn does not believe the public realizes what happens to the forward area. "Turning to Russia and, as a result, under the control of Russia to our space program just doesn't sit right with me, and I don't think there are also people, American or not, either, "said Glenn, a former senator who ran a shuttle in orbit in 1998 at the age of 77. It included 89 next month.Glenn said, little, if any, money will be saved by cancelling the program Transfer from the airport, taking into account all the millions of dollars going to Russia to rocket races. Shuttle at least two flights a year to keep the station going and force work employed until something new comes along, he said.Astronaut wonders what happens if there is an accident and Soyuz rockets are grounded. He supposes space station — an investment of 100 billion dollars--would have to be abandoned. He also bezstresowej scientific research at the station will take a hit if the experiments must be run from Russia and have no way of getting back to Earth in bulk.President George w. Bush made the decision to retire, shuttle services and retarget the Moon six years ago in the wake of the Columbia tragedy. President Barack Obama keeps closing the transfer from the airport, you kill effort the Moon only two shuttle missions remain on the composition of the Official; the second almost certainly will be delayed until early next year. NASA is hoping the White House will add an additional ticket next summer before the end of the 30-year shuttle program.Glenn Democratic support Obama's plan, announced earlier this year on the space station by going to the year 2020 and give up on the basis of the moon now. But the original Mercury 7 astronauts, "said the nation needs a rocketship capable of lifting heavy loads — whether it is part of NASA'S Constellation program or something else — if astronauts ever to achieve asteroids and Mars. Private companies, in the meantime, interested in the performance of astronauts back to the space station and the need to first prove their ability and niezawodnoscGlenn noted. "I'm very often this momentum to the placing on the market," he said.Glenn said he waited it public, because he thought, "people would see the wisdom of" preserve the continuity of a shuttle. "If we're going to do anything, it must be done fairly quickly," he said.Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY Community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally and keep your language decent. Use the "report abuse" button to make the difference. Learn more.